Abstract
This report offers an analysis of participation at the Bankstown Sports AFL Club, also known as the Bankstown BullSharks, from 2014 to 2019. Using the dataset provided by AFL NSW/ACT, an analysis was undertaken to gain an insight into patterns of participation. The parameters of the analysis have been guided by the amount of available information within the SportsTG database. Participation was defined as including those who had registered for either Auskick or Club footy during the nominated timeframe, with a total of 429 participants identified during the six year period. It was found that the Bankstown BullSharks participation has plateaued over the past four seasons at around 150 participants across Auskick and Club footy. Within these figures there has been a steady increase of Club footy players and a corresponding decline in Auskick participation. There has also been a shift within the participant demographic within the club with an increasing amount of female participation, noting that the club now has more female Club footy participants than males. The Bankstown BullSharks and AFL NSW/ACT have been successful in attracting new players to the Club, with an average of 81 new participants joining each year. However, this figure becomes concerning when it is considered that overall participation is not increasing above 150 participants per year. As a result more than half of the participants at the Club are new to the Club each year which has potential flow on effects for coaches, team performance and the volunteer base. It has also been found that less than 13% of participants make the traditional transition from Auskick to Club footy. Furthermore, it was also found that 73 participants have remained with the club for three or more seasons, and a majority of the club committee and coaches are associated with participants. This would indicate that the Club is able to provide a positive experience for a core of participants and parents. This analysis involved a database analysis and provides an insight into participation at the Bankstown BullSharks. While this analysis is able to comment on trends of participation it is unable to provide answers to the reason why people continue or discontinue participation with the Club. In order to answer these questions additional qualitative research would need to be undertaken.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Place of Publication | Penrith, N.S.W. |
Publisher | Western Sydney University |
Number of pages | 34 |
Publication status | Published - 2020 |
Keywords
- Australian Football League
- Bankstown Sports AFL Club